1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a system and method for automatically detecting and compensating for the failure of an automobile's low beam headlight, and more particularly to an electrical system which utilizes an automobile's low beam lamp mechanism to compensate for headlight failure.
2. Background Information
Blown-out car headlights at night are a potential safety hazard for the car's occupants, as well as for others on the road, and can subject the vehicle's driver to a traffic ticket. There are apparently no readily available remedies or substitutes for a malfunctioning vehicle headlight. The driver usually just keeps driving until the next available service station with a mechanic on duty. Most service stations do not have a mechanic on duty until working hours the next day, which means the vehicle is without a headlight until then. In fact, many owners continue to drive their vehicle for months with a blown headlight. These occasionally serve to amuse children traveling in other nearby vehicles counting “pedittles” or “cyclops”.
The system of the present invention provides a temporary substitute for a malfunctioning vehicle headlight. When a vehicle's low beam headlight fails, this system will automatically energize the adjacent high beam headlight at the same light intensity as the vehicle's low beam headlight. For example, if the left side, low beam headlight malfunctions, the left side, high beam headlight bulb is automatically energized at normal low beam intensity. When this occurs, no noticeable difference in headlight intensity or appearance will be noted by either the vehicle's occupants, or the occupants of other vehicles in the vicinity. A dashboard indicator warning light can be included in the system to notify the driver of any such failure. This intelligent secondary headlight system is insertable in the circuits of previously manufactured automobiles as an add-on feature, or it can be included during the automobile manufacturing process. This secondary headlight system does not require the addition of any bulbs.